Claims of watchhouse 'abuse'

A NARANGBA mother and businesswoman claims she was belittled, assaulted and abused by staff at Caboolture Watchhouse after she voluntarily handed herself in for a crime dating back 27 years.

Christine Zieth, now 50, made headlines last week when she faced a 1985 charge of being in possession of a stolen car.

The unresolved charges were raised by police who visited her home last year on a separate matter and she agreed to hand herself in to police on December 21, with the understanding she would face Caboolture Magistrate's Court early that same day.

But Mrs Zieth has now revealed the matter she thought would be resolved quite quickly, dragged on for an agonising nine hours.

She claims senior watchhouse staff treated her like "a low-life dog who'd deliberately been on the run all these years".

"I was taken and thrown in the watchhouse all day, stripped of my boots, jewellery - they wouldn't even allow me to phone my husband to let him know what was going on," Mrs Zieth said.

"They wouldn't believe that I even owned a business, much less had a husband.